Rama On Hanuman

Battle of Lanka
West gallery, north wing
Angkor Wat

Rama, the hero of the story, rides upon the shoulders of Hanuman. The monkey general holds in his right hand the Mountain of Life, which he uprooted from the Himalayas in order to bring back some medicinal plants to his injured comrades. Rama's pose echoes that of Vishnu (of whom Rama was an avatar) riding on Garuda. The background consists of flying spears and arrows, which cross the upright poles of honorific fans and umbrellas to form a nearly abstract composition.